The Legend of Gu and Jue (2021)

Un drama notevole, imperdibile!

Alla seconda puntata, pensavo di lasciar perdere, gli attori non mi convincevano ma non li conoscevo. Ma memore di alcuni drama che si sono svelati con lo svilupparsi delle storie, molto belli, ho continuato ed ho fatto benissimo.
Ho visto molti altri xianxia di notevole fattura, ma nessuno è stato esaustivo come questo nel descrivere le divinità.
E' una storia molto avventurosa, che ruota attorno alla coppia principale. Piena di colpi di scena, con sviluppi inaspettati.
Mi ha colpita la grandiosità degli eventi, qui gli dei immortali, sono veramente immortali ed hanno poteri inimmaginabili. Le battaglie si svolgono tanto sul piano materiale che spirituale con abbondanza di effetti speciali ben fatti.
La storia non presenta lacune. Come tanti drama, bisogna entrarci dentro ed aspettare che si sviluppi per capire bene tutti i risvolti dei fatti. Dopo le prime puntate prende l'avvio e non ci si stacca più. Dopo la 31esima puntata, ogni puntata tira l'altra e non si vede l'ora di arrivare alla fine.
La coppia principale fin da subito dichiara di amarsi senza tanti tira e molla, è un amore grande ed immenso, fatto di sacrifici oltre la vita stessa. Geniale l'idea della scrittrice nell'inventari dei "doppi" dei protagonisti principali, sviluppando quindi una seconda storia.
Tutti i personaggi secondari sono stati ben sviluppati, alcune storie sono andate a finire bene, altre no, cosi come succede nella vita, ma per fortuna quella dei protagonisti ha avuto un bellissimo finale, per fortuna non troppo breve come è usuale nei drama cinesi.
Bellissime le locations, gradevoli le musiche, niente di che gli abiti degli immortali, ma si possono perdonare perché il drama offre ben altro.
Gli attori principali inizialmente non mi convincevano, ma pian piano li ho apprezzati in pieno.
Bravi tutti, complimenti Cina! Li avessimo anche in Italia serie tv come queste, ma qui la televisione oramai è diventata scadente.
Consiglio senz'altro questo drama, da guardare anche + volte per non perdersi ogni sfumatura.
Un grazie come sempre, ai bravi traduttori e sottotitolatori, se non ci fossero loro, non potremmo gustarci questi capolavori.
Grazie!

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Ancient Love Poetry: The Xianxia Drama of 2021

Countless days of waiting weren’t for nothing. My anticipation was sky high for this Xianxia, and my patience was also tested to the maximum. With a lengthy list of countless words to describe Ancient Love Poetry, I can say without any hesitation that ‘disappointment’ is an excluded word.

I’m probably not lying if I call the Xianxia genre my soulmate. I am a sucker for this beautiful genre, and Ancient Love Poetry is a must-watch if you enjoyed/loved the previous famous Xianxias. The drama brings you into a world of magic and beauty that makes it terribly hard for you to take your eyes offscreen.

Story-
What may appear at first glance to be a Cdrama filled to the brim with Xianxia tropes, it is not false to say that Ancient Love Poetry has difficult tribulations, character reincarnations, and most of all, heartbreaking sacrifices. But with the addition of beauty and elegance, a Xianxia drama can take these tropes to a heavenly level. Adapted from the well-known Xianxia novel “Shang Gu”-Ancient God (上古) by Xing Ling, the drama followed the original piece evidently well, and maintained the tension, angst and beauty masterfully to the very end.

A Xianxia would not be very well-rounded off without world building and character introduction, which Ancient Love Poetry did magnificently with. As with the majority of costume Cdramas and even more with Xianxias, it can be difficult to attempt the memorization of characters and locations. With a helping hand that is the first few episodes of Ancient Love Poetry, the audience found less struggle with this concept. I could even call Ancient Love Poetry educational in terms of the Xianxia genre- From just 49 episodes alone, I, who has done extensive research on this fantasy genre, broadened my knowledge even more.

What comes with the introduction also comes with a slight impatience towards a rather slow-paced plot in the beginning. In easier words, Ancient Love Poetry did not entirely succeed to capture everyone’s attention at the beginning, resulting in the creation of let-down droppers. As many of us say, the story gets very interesting starting from eps 12-16. And as expected, the story only progressed towards more captivation. Longer dramas may provide more time for the background story, which may seem unnecessary and boring but are actually important for the story as a whole. The sheer level of love and angst in this drama is enough for one to cry out numerous waterfalls.

It was also a pleasure to discover that aside from the lead couple, romance spread across many lovable supporting characters, as well as familial love, long lasting friendship, and even hateful grievances. Although Ancient Love Poetry focuses heavily on romance, the story also kept the audience on the edge of their seats with a few major problems that spread throughout the four realms and that threatened the existence of the true gods.

Production-
Ancient Love Poetry’s production is such a gem that I decided to give it its very own section in this review. The production is simply gorgeous, and the drama’s high budget certainly paid off and was used to its full potential. The costumes look simple with its light pastel colors, but with its simplicity comes a wave of freshness and slight joy. The drama’s CGI is not a joke, either. Each strand of magic and spell is carefully produced to the most believable extent, providing a most magical experience for the audience. Each realm in the drama also gives off special vibes. The bright gold Heavenly Palace boasts its grandeur while the lighter-colored Qingchi Palace expresses its beauty in the form of nature and water. Inside the palace, rooms and props are delicately adorned with the uniqueness of its realm, from shimmering golds to billowing blacks. Editing was not a problem either, as traditions were neatly made without any distraction.

Cast-
Please allow me to disagree to the fullest extent with the Chinese netizens claiming that Zhou Dongyu was not fit for the role of Shang Gu. She absolutely nailed this with astonishing talent. With the challenge of Ancient Love Poetry being her very first costume Cdrama, Zhou Dongyu portrayed Shang Gu perfectly, a playful girl who later grows up into the leader of the God Realm with a difficult destiny. Zhou Dongyu does exceptionally well with deep scenes, and Ancient Love Poetry gave her another chance to display this talent. Her acting was not forced at all, creating a lovable character with a heartbreaking history.

Believe it or not, Ancient Love Poetry is my first drama starring Xu Kai. As I watched this along with his first modern drama, Falling Into Your Smile, I got the perfect chance to compare his completely different roles and made the conclusion that he is an amazing actor who can portray almost any character. As a caring male lead holding unspeakable love, Bai Jue stole the hearts of everyone. He successfully made us cry rivers for him as we accompanied him on his grueling path of love and sacrifice. Xu Kai as Bai Jue and Xu Kai as Qing Mu couldn’t have been more different and heartbreaking. With contrasting personalities but the same passionate love, both characters gave way for the audience to experience their love and pain.

Shang Gu and Bai Jue are cute. Period. With cute chemistry and powerful love and care for each other, the director of ALP, Yin Tao (one of my favorite directors), did not make a mistake when he casted Zhou Dongyu and Xu Kai as the leads. I can’t think of anyone better.

Many of the supporting actors and actresses did phenomenally, to say the least. A drama is never complete with a complex range of supporting characters, all with different beliefs and lovable or hateable traits. Completely contrasting with Bai Lin in Love and Redemption, Liu Xueyi as Tian Qi was an absolute pleasure to watch. Liu Xueyi kept the balance between a playful and perky true god to a caring friend and master. Lai Yi as Gu Jun was one of my favorite characters. This righteous high god couldn't have cared less about power and the messiness of the Heavenly Realm, and lived life to the fullest. Even as a father, no one and nothing could stop him from protecting his daughter at all costs. Last but not least, I would also like to give a big round of applause to Zhang Jiani, actress of Wu Huan. This complex character is a major challenge for anyone, but Zhang Jiani did more than wonderfully, and was such a pleasure to watch on screen.

Even with characters of very minor importance, I was always invested in their own stories and their part in the drama. Character development was done so well in Ancient Love Poetry that some characters made quite a big personality change, while others never failed to keep our attention.

Soundtrack-
What more than breathtaking awe for the OST of Ancient Love Poetry? With songs sung by exceptionally talented singers, they truly brought out the magic and beauty of the drama. Along with traditional background music and propelling lyrics, what a gem of a soundtrack this is.

I will do another thing I have never done before in any review, which is listing the soundtrack, to show the very preciousness of the OST:
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“Penannular Love”《绝恋》by Zhou Shen (周深)

“Yearning”《年岁》by Mao Buyi (毛不易)

“Sense”《感应》by Liu Yuning (刘宇宁)

“Twilight”《朝暮》by Deng Shenme Jun (等什么君)

“A Thousand Years of Searching”《千寻》by A-Lin

“Mountain Sea”《山海》by Zhuo Yao (灼夭)

“The Thought of Life”《执生念》by Ye Xuanqing (叶炫清)
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Here is a verse from “The Thought of Life” that I deem most beautiful and heartbreaking:
“她, 化身飞烟, 生死离别, 他为她守护三界”

“She, turns into flying smoke, parting life and death, while he protects the Three Realms for her”

Overall-
It is still quite hard to believe that Ancient Love Poetry might have just become my favorite Cdrama of all time. The title of Xianxia of 2021 is most fitting for this drama, if not enough. With tens of thousands of years of love and grievances, I was sucked deep into this moving love story. What started off on quite a good note only got better and better with a diversity of characters and relationships and a journey across the magical Xianxia world.

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Beautiful xianxia drama that may have its flaws but overall is still worth the watch

Before I get into this, I would like to say that negative reviews have had no effect on me and I think Zhou Dong Yu looks the part.

This story follows Shang Gu as she lives up to her role as the leader of the four immortals and takes responsibility for the realms.

The story starts out somewhat stereotypical: Shang Gu needs to get stronger so she trains under Bai Jue. However, the character development was nicely done in this: Shang Gu grows from a mischievous, useless goddess to a powerful, self-sacrificing leader. Bai Jue also begins to open up, and the chemistry between the two is adorable. Shang Gu is like a puppy dog of happiness whenever she's around Bai Jue! The plot also begins to pick up around 4 episodes too, and the story becomes very interesting.

The second life is also neat, but one of my only criticisms of the show comes here: Shang Gu(or Houchi in this life) becomes a bit wooden. Zhou Dong Yu still acts out Houchi like she was the strong female ruler she was, but after 30 episodes it starts to get a little stale and unbelievable. In Xianxia dramas (or any drama, really) I wish to see a lot of character development and growth. Shang Gu experienced emotional and physical growth, but I'm not sensing a lot of emotional growth from Houchi where it feels like there should be some. She still faces problems and reacts to things in exactly the same way for 20 episodes straight. I find it hard to believe that her personality will change drastically when she becomes Shang Gu again too. Despite this, I still enjoyed the second arc.

The third phase (starting from the return of Bai Jue) was both the best and the worst phase. It was the worst because in some places, there were some cheesy and unbelievable scenes, such as (no major spoilers) when everyone stood in a circle around Bai Jue and Jing Zhao and watched everything unfold without reacting. There were some pretty shocking things happening, so the vast majority just standing there like statues kind of took the emotional impact out of that moment for me. Another thing is Shang Gu interacting with Bai Jue during the period when they weren't on the best terms. They basically said the same things for three encounters. Xu Kai's acting saved the day because he has the best despairing gaze, but I feel like they needed to switch up their interactions a bit.

Now for the best parts (and these override the bad parts by miles ). I said above that I may not like Zhou Dong Yu's acting in the third arc, but I was pleasantly surprised. Her acting, like in the first arc, feels lively, spirited, and quick-witted. The second great thing is actually the villain's development. I want to give props to Jenny Zhang for portraying Wu Huan's character with such depth. Her desperation and resignation of fate led her to her actions, and I can even relate with her a bit. Her story was well written and her ending was justified. And that leads me to the third thing. Ancient Love Poetry has one of the best endings that I've seen. All the characters were written off nicely, everyone got what they deserved, and the ending was beautiful. Nothing felt rushed or unsatisfactory. The ending sealed the deal for this drama being a great drama overall.

About the main characters: I sometimes felt Zhou Dong Yu could've acted some parts with more emotion. She's awesome at the cheerful/intellectual/imposing scenes, but her sad scenes aren't totally there yet. Xu Kai is great; he goes from an emotionless True God to a hot-blooded immortal, and he's great at subtly showing his emotions in his third form. Like Zhou Dong Yu, his acting is also a bit wooden at times, but his emotional scenes hit me where it hurts. He's got some great acting abilities. Despite their individual acting, their chemistry was adorable. I also liked the fact that their relationship was not a stereotypical guy-is-the-best-at-everything relationship.

The side characters are a joy to watch in this show. I love them all, from the friends to the villains. They are multifaceted and compelling, and I'm as invested in their stories as I am in the main couples'. Wu Huan is a dislikeable but understandable villain, Yue Mi and Feng Ran are friends with interesting backstories, the other immortals are all people with flaws struggling to do their best, and the Demon Tribe is just another group with its own troubles and stories. Tian Qi is actually one of my favorite characters. They are part of what makes this show charming.

For the animation: the trailer was beyond beautiful, but making every little part look amazing is going to cost a lot of money, and this drama is already CGI heavy. However, this show is the best-edited among long-length xianxia dramas up to and during its air. It really is dazzling and gorgeous.

Overall, Ancient Love Poetry is definitely a drama worth watching, and despite my criticisms, the number of great scenes vastly outnumber them. Also, once you get deep into the story, you want to know what happens next!

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It takes 60,000 years worth of patience to watch this show...

So, I really tried to like this show. I mean, it has good actors, a splendid wardrobe, amazing production and special effects. Even the opening and ending OST match the vibe that this show is trying to achieve...

BUT:

1. The Gods are weaker than the Devils till the 46th episode
2. The secondary lead/Muguang is a complete and utter fool but also gets major screen time
3. The villain is known from episode 12 and continues to go undetected and run rampant till episode 46. AND you get to see this all the time as everyone else is taken for a ride but you still ought to believe that they are Gods and not idiots.
4. Only saving grace are another pair of secondary leads - TianQi and Gu Jun - who unfortunately do not get enough screen time or the power to solve anything
5. The ML is too busy falling in love/out of love/ reincarnating/ suffering amnesia/ solving reincarnation problems and acting like the entire universe 's problems are on his shoulders
6. One avatar of the FL which is all powerful and can actually solve problems is there in approx 22 episodes. The first 12 eps where she is busy training and falling in love (so in my eyes - basically doing nothing), and then the last ten where she alone is able to devise how to make good triumph over evil. The rest of her avatars are powerless and only involved in entangling with the ML and suffering in the hands of the villain

SO:

Story:
If you can't tell from the above points how frustrated I am with the overall pace of this story then my rant has fallen on deaf ears. The storyline is pretty interesting as it has been derived from a popular novel. All story arcs are also fleshed out sufficiently with multiple secondary leads. My only bone of contention is that this story will try your patience to the limit and then some.

Acting:
TianQi and Gu Jun were good. The female lead is a good actress and Xu Kai is good at looking good. To me the story overpowered the acting. I have zero tolerance for fools and characters that just don't take the hint. Unfortunately, this show is filled with them so I wasn't able to get past my frustration with the characters to appreciate their acting.

Overall:
This is watchable if you are a fan of xanxia/wuxia genre. The production value is fantastic and the special effects are truly wonderful. The acting is okay and if you are a fan of the book you'll probably be a fan of the show. I think I would have rated this higher if it was a K-show with only 16/24 episodes. If I am watching something for 49 episodes it had better be sensible and keep me invested in the characters. I lost hope after ep 40 and only sheer grit made me finish this show so I could share my review truthfully.
All in all, if you have low patience for issue resolution and do not suffer fools gladly then do not bother to watch. You will thank me later!

PS: This is my opinion. If you don't agree that's fine but please desist from writing rude comments.

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Four True Gods in Three Realms!

Must-watch for Xianxia lovers!!
I always have a soft spot on Chinese Xianxia dramas since Ashes of Love. I always spare my time to watch Xianxia dramas. Since this drama and the cast was announced, I was super excited and highly anticipated. I even read the novel so I could get better understanding in stories and characters.
Trust me, this did not disappoint me at all. This is a masterpiece, kinda different than other Xianxia.
The plot is so original and unique. It set in God Realm which was ruled by The Four True Gods. Our FL is Shang Gu, Leader of Four True Gods. She sacrificed herself in a trial for 60,000 years. Bai Jue, Our ML come up with a master plan to save her and to be sacrificed himself.
The storyline is bittersweet but fruitful and exceptional in every aspects. Don't worry! It has happy ending. You will experience a beautiful and emotional journey until the end.
The directing and writing are all excellent. The cinematography and CGI is hands down the best among Xianxia dramas. The fight scenes and visual movements are top-notch.

THE STORY: It was so excellent and well-executed. The writers knows how to make a perfect Xianxia in 49 episodes, which usually work on more number of episodes. Everything is on point, the story does not drag or rush in every way. It happens just in time when it need to happen.

THE CAST/ACTING:
The casting team choose the ensemble cast with outstanding acting abilities. Everyone in this drama performed so well in their roles. There is no acting hole at all (this is crazy) because their acting seems really natural, nothing was out of place.

Zhou Dong Yu: She is known as the Movie Queen of China, with many deserving awards and records. But, since I haven't watched any Chinese movies before, I only watched dramas, I was not familiar with her. This is my very first time watching her acting performance. Now, I know the reason why she is called as the Acting Queen. Her acting is on next level, way ahead of Chinese famous drama actresses. The way she emotes is not like the other. She can really act. She shows the best acting performance among any female lead in Xianxia dramas. Zhou Dong Yu rocks both as Shang Gu and Houchi.

Xu Kai: I am a huge fan of Xu Kai since the Legends and Arsenal Military Academy. I know his strengths and weaknesses as an actor. He always works hard to improve his acting, now I can say he is upgraded from an idol actor to a quality actor. I'm so proud of how far he comes. He really understand his own characters, to be as Bai Jue/Bo Xuan/Qing Mu, his portrayal is very natural and excellent.
The other supporting actors are all exceptional. The actress who plays as Wu Huan is so amazing.

THE CHEMISTRY:
Zhou Dong Yu and Xu Kai...I wasn't expected much from this coupling at first. But, I was completely on board with them since the first few episodes and was shocked at how well they seemed to be hitting it off together. Their chemistry is on point! Their eyes speak to each other. I'm amazed by their genuine and excellent acting and chemistry.

MUSIC:
The soundtrack was enjoyable and emotional throughout the drama. It works so well with the story. My favorite OSTs are "Chihiro" by A-Lin, "Perseverance" by Ye Xuanqing and "Ju Lian" by Zhou Shen.

CHARACTERS:
All the characters are well-written, even the supporting characters shine here. I'm in love with all the characters:
- Shang Gu/Houchi
- Bai Jue/Bo Xuan/Qing Mu
- Tian Qi
- Hong Ri
- Yuemi
- Feng Ran
- Zhi Yang
- Gu Jun 
- Jing Jian
- Zihan
- Yuan Qi.

REWATCH VALUE :
I am sure I will re-watch it many times. It is that great.

OVERALL
This drama is unique, great, captivating, and one of my favorite Chinese Xianxia dramas along with Ashes of Love and Love and Redemption. I am always longing for this kind of drama. Definitely 10/10 for me!
In conclusion, this drama is everything I expect from a xianxia romance. Be prepared to fall in love with the characters, three Realms, their love stories.

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An Exquisite Xianxia That You Shouldn't Miss!

When I initially came upon Ancient Love Poetry, it was being slammed from all sides, but I still decided to watch it for some reason.
Now, 49 episodes later, it has blown my expectations and is perhaps one of the best dramas out there in my list. The unique storyline, outstanding performances by the entire cast, numerous lovable characters, villains that make your blood boil, suspenses that leave you worried along with numerous tales of sincerity and undying love completely bewitched me. I'm so glad that I didn't pay heed to all the negative reviews and kept going. Bear with me, my review will be long and I have tried covering a few points that might put off many viewers and the things I loved about this drama. I hope that it convinces you to give it a chance:

1. Don't be fooled by the bland beginning. Ancient Love Poetry has one of the most unique storylines I've seen. And they did not kid around with the title "Ancient God". The story takes place waaay before the existence of humans. In the God Realm - where our lazy female lead, Shangu, is forcefully pushed to master the Power of Chaos in a race against time to stop the Tribulation of Chaos and also protect the Three Realms as the power that protects it begin to dissipate, something which only she had the ability to permanently solve. Her master happens to be Bai Jue, one of the True Gods, who is rather cold and strict towards her, but slowly warms upto her rather humble nature, eventually falling deeply for her. Her hardwork pays off, but the tribulation turns out to be her ultimate test which no one is able to stop. But, destiny has more in store for her....
The story is also the most strongest point of Ancient Love Poetry. It delves away from the Heavenly Realm, focussing on the life of the Ancient Gods, the most powerful beings across all Realms, which was a first for me. The events and mysteries unravel in a rather ominous and nerve wracking manner. I paused an episode and decided to spoil myself as I couldn't handle anymore surprises that were often accompanied by painful experiences. The plot purposefully takes a drastic turn after a certain point, but it did not feel disconnected and maintained the right flow. The chronological way of narration is done right in Ancient Love Poetry - it might have been shot that way to avoid unnecessary flashbacks to the past and helps us connect with their present selves better.
[The author of the novel, Xing Ling herself was involved as a screen writer. While the story does deviate from the original work at times, it stays true to the novel for several major plot points. And the script is well plotted despite having some issues at the beginning, but that was necessary for the plot.]

2. The timeline - is a MAJOR factor that no one probably notices. A single episode may consist of several days or even months, hence the romance is pretty fast paced. Right from EP1, it's implied that several days/weeks had passed. Three months and 1000 years, all pass within two episodes. Shangu's training might have taken months or years, but we see glimpses of it. This might be off putting for many, but I personally was not bothered by it. The actors played the roles really well and nothing felt rushes.

3. The characters, particularly the leads and even the supporting ones are the pillars of the whole story. Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster.
The Female lead is very unlike the ones we usually see - she is not stunningly pretty or the typical Goddess type. While she might not be everyone's cup of tea, I think she is beautiful and was the smartest choice out of the cast to be chosen to portray the young, innocent Shangu who grew up to become someone who was wise enough to hold the title of the "Chief God". I had begun watching ALP for the lead - Zhou Dong Yu is well known for her acting skills in movies, but I can tell that she brought justice to her character here just like she did for her other roles. She managed to portray the duality of Hou Chi and Shangu beautifully. I missed her smile as Shangu and I don't think anyone could have played that role and still managed to maintain a smooth balance between emotions.
I loved Xu Kai's role as Bai Jue. I think most people have seen him before in his previous works where he played lighter characters, but its good to see him in something new. As for stereotypes and how comfortable we are with the actors, its upto you, reader.
The supporting characters, I have to mention, left a deep impression on me. Particularly in EP15. Even the ones that had only a few minutes of screentime managed to convey the emotions perfectly. Characters like Gu Jun (a flood dragon who ascends to the God Realm), Tian Qi (a noteworthy, naughty True God of Demons and the one who brought Shangu up), Yuemi (Tian Qi's closest friend who spoils Shangu with him) , Zihan, Hongri... all manage to steal our attention. They were very well portrayed and I'm sure that I'll never forget any of them anytime soon and will definitely be looking forward to their future works.

4. The romance... has a more "natural" feeling, particularly for Shangu and Bai Jue. Their relationship is not forced, even if it seems rushed. Ancient Love Poetry is not heavy on physical display of affections, but their sincerity towards each other is completely driven by their actions. There are no declarations of love or confessions, but their actions are strong and silent enough to convey the depth of their devotion to each other. When the second arc begins, we see a whole new side of the "fire and ice" relation of the Gods. This change is particularly delightful as we get to see the "Ice Cube" be warm and talkative while the "Bubbly and strong" Shangu becomes the meek and powerless Hou Chi. Their story in the second arc is particularly well written with plot twists, villains and schemes that puts them against the Immortal Realm.
The romance is not just for the leads. Two supporting characters in particular, had, good solid relationships that managed to make me root for their happiness. They might have not had enough screentime, but were beautifully portrayed with such intensity that many of us wished for their happiness. The plus side was that no one imposed themselves on the one they care about, but accepted their choices and supported them, never once becoming an ill wisher. (In short, no serious love triangles.)
There are several other memorable relationships, may it be between the Gods and their Divine Beasts or just plain loyalty and friendship between each other. The God Realm arc might be a bit unsatisfying to many, but I yearned for those precious moments and missed the characters from the first arc terribly during the second one. The bromance between the Four True Gods, Yuemi and Shangu are noteworthy. While the second arc might be serious, we have several supporting characters such and Fengran, Chang Que , Jingjian and Jia Ye who lighten up the mood for Hou Chi and Qingmu as well as for us. Their banter and loyalty to their friends was constant throughout the drama. It's worth watching even if its just for them.

5. The Antagonist: That's one major question. From my perspective, it has two. An intangible entity that can not be stopped and an actual vile villain.
What sets this drama apart for me is that the 'villain' is not introduced as such. Rather, the seeds of what lies ahead are already planted in the earlier episodes and we see the gradual transition to the current state. Driven by covetous intentions, the disgusting actions and motives sets them aside from the ones I've seen. And the absolutely stunning portrayal by the actor alleviated the character to such a level that we are beyond disgusted whenever the person appears on screen. Not to mention, the character was an actual crook, who was cunning and clever. Never have I wished for a character to stop breathing as much as I did for this one. Whenever the abode of the 'evil one' appeared, I wished that the episode would move faster and go back to the locations where I feel calm enough to watch.
As for the former antagonist I mentioned... watching the drama might give you a better idea about why I mentioned it.

6. The CGI is hands down the best one I've seen to date in a major xianxia drama. It doesn't lack in intense action scenes too. One thing I noted was that most of the Gods and Immortals used a mixture of both magic and weapons in a combat, which is the first time I saw such excessive use of CGI. I was impressed with the God Realm in particular. As I mentioned in my earlier review: The make up and costumes compliment the scenery so well that each shot seems to have been spun from dreams.
While the costumes may lack in colour (something minor, but that may put off a lot of viewers), the production team went so far as to visit historical sites and attempt to weave the details into them.

7. The OST: I suck at evaluating music, but the song "Perseverance" is heartbreaking, even without the scene. I get goosebumps whenever I listen to it. Many of the BGMs were my favorite. The lighter fun music during the initial arc were really memorable, but turned to nostalgia inducing everytime I heard it in the second arc.

8. The Finale: As a hint, the drama ends exactly like the novel. I loved how the writers managed to provide closure to two storylines in 49 episodes. I, for one, am left with a bittersweet feeling of parting with my favorite characters. I grew to care for many of them, both major and minor ones. (Special mention to Sen Yu, Chang Qin, Chang Que and Jia Ye, Hongri, the Gods of God Realm, Puhua.)

All in all, I'm glad I picked up this drama while it was being avalanched by negative reviews. (There were some with valid criticism, but 80% of the CNets slammed it just for the actress's looks and the ratings and general reviews almost made it seem like an unwatchable atrocity.) I have to warn though, it might not be your cup of tea. In the end, it depends on preference. I usually drop dramas within the first five episodes, but this one being a Xianxia, I had to give it a go for some more.
Does it deserve a 10? Maybe not. (I knocked off a .5 from the Rewatch value cause the pain is real. But, this is the second CDrama that I did not drop this year and one of the best in terms of cast and story as a whole. And based on it's quality and storyline, it deserves a better rating albeit its faults. Watching it was a truly delightful experience. It made me go through a roller coaster of emotions. We see multiple hardships and sacrifices being made by people for the ones they care about. Almost every character was memorable in their own ways, even the bad guys.
And I certainly will not be forgetting the Legend of ShangGu and Bai Jue anytime soon.
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I left my first impression/review below as a memory. :)
June 20, 2021: The major drawback of Chinese Dramaland is the predictability of storylines and the numerous over used tropes that pop up as a result of it, particularly for Xianxia and Wuxia genres. Which is why it is hard to find something that captures my attention.

One of 2021's highly anticipated xianxia dramas, Ancient Love Poetry follows the progress and growth of our Goddess of Chaos - Shangu. I have to admit, I needed three episodes for the drama to finally pique my interest. The rather slow and uninteresting first episode, coupled with the carefree attitude of the female lead who is still unaware of what lies ahead is jarring for viewers looking for a fast paced drama. I have to note, the MDL synopsis seems to spoil the furure of the plot, but gives enough hint to know what trials the happy-go-lucky Shangu is yet to face. I have not seen anything yet and I'm on EP6 at the time of writing this review.
Zhou Dongyu nails her role... if the character Shangu is whom I perceive her to be - she is not dumb or stupid, but had been pampered for too long and shielded from evil by Zhiyang and Tianqu (two amusing Gods) until they are left with no choice but to ask their fellow God Bai Jue, who had retired to the lower real, to return to train Shangu as she would soon have to bear the task of protecting the dangerously thinning barrier between the Nether world and the other realms.
Xu Kai fits his role as Bai Jue, the cold God of War and his performance is convincing enough to know the power and grace he wields.
The slow moving tale (as of EP6) has scattered several hints of what lay ahead and I am curious to know how the legend of Shangu and Bai Jue come to conclusion.
The romance is... 'natural'. I have no other words to describe it. It's not mushy or cringeworthy, but there's something real about their interactions which are the highlights of the first few episodes.
Another strong point: usually the VFX of CDramas make me frown. This drama exceeds expectations. Taking place completely in the God Realm, the CGI is top notch and can be on par with many Hollywood productions. The make up and costumes compliment the scenery so well that each shot seems to have been spun from dreams.
Rather light colored without being flamboyant, the costumes are surprisingly stunning. The make up doesn't look too bright, but just good enough without being overbearing. Most of the "supernatural aura" is carried by the actors' performance. None of them disappointed me as of now.
I will rate this an 8/10 as of now. I recommend that you check it out for atleast three episodes before deciding to drop this. Long Chinese dramas often have a slow start. So far, this is one of the better hyped up fantasy dramas Tencent rolled out this year for me. Now, I'll wait to see if this one can leave a remarkable impression in Xianxia land to stand the test of time...

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Lifetime of Love, Regrets and Sacrifices

Happy, sad, happy, sad, and happy. Yes, these are the emotions I have been experiencing throughout this drama. When the times are good, everything is cute, lovey-dovey and funny. Then chaos strikes, I cry for the losses. And life starts all over again. Things become cute and funny once more, and I laugh. Just as the water is finally calm, chaos strikes again. I cry my eyes out for the losses, mourning for my favorite characters. It is really amazing how such a drama can fully capture our emotions and make us feel for the characters so much.

60,000 years ago, almost everyone dies after the battle of the gods and the demons. Now 60,000 years later, the gods are reborn through the remnants of their spirits. They become the immortals, relatively young gods with lower power. They meet and fall in love all over again, until the true gods, who are within their subconscious, are awoken, and their minds merge and bodies taken over. At the same time, the return of the devil means another war is imminent.

Shang Gu (Zhou Dong Yu) is a happy-go-lucky, one of the four true gods, doted by the other true gods, Tian Qi (Liu Xue Yi) and Zhi Yang (Li Ze Feng). She’s carefree and playful, but the stern teachings of Bai Jue (Xu Kai), one of the four, help her realize her potential, and she falls head-over-toes in love with him. Through him, she begins to understand the importance of her role in the universe. With that, she grows stronger and becomes the most powerful god of all. This growing pain doesn’t come easy. It takes her through enormous emotional struggle and eventual sacrifice of herself for the greater good.

Zhou Dong Yu’s acting hits the mark, as Shang Gu and Hou Chi, right on the spot. She can be girly and playful with a sweet mesmerizing smile. Then in one whiff, becomes a serious and powerful god feared by all. Many viewers complain that Zhou Dong Yu not beautiful enough, to that I would say beauty should not be the focus here, but her aura and acting should.

Bai Jue grows from a cold emotionless being into a person who can feel love and love in return. Many viewers complain Xu Kai can’t act, but to me, his acting is exactly right without overacting. As Bai Jue, he is cold and emotionless (ironically Tian Qi nicknames him, the God of Fire, Ice Cube), but as Qing Mu, he is not as cold and more animated. Xu Kai manages to show the distinct emotions of both characters very well, and through his eyes, he exudes passion, longing and turmoil. When he’s been wronged, the silence pain he endures shown in his eyes is so real, making the viewers empathize with his characters. When Xu Kai cries, I cry. Yes, Xu Kai can act and is excellent in portraying his roles.

My most favorite character is perhaps Tian Qi. After the drama “Qing Luo”, I really love Liu Xueyi and his acting. Once again, he’s given an excellent performance here. Over all, the acting from the whole cast is fabulous, from the main leads, to the second leads, to the kid, to the antagonists. Everyone has put up their best performances and it shows in the final production. The writing is good, the story is intriguing, the editing is coherent, the pace is just right (especially at the second half) and the CGIs are awesome.

OSTs
Absolutely must listen. So good.

My Verdict
The beginning episodes are very interesting with amazing CGIs. Then it becomes somewhat draggy with quite a bit of the to-and-fro, playing out the relationship development which I find rather boring. I must admit I did yawn a little here and there (maybe even dozed off from time to time) for the first 10 episodes as the characters are developing. Then the second life begins (around episode 16), ushering in the births of the in-between gods with the introduction of new characters. They are initially confusing and their relationship overlapping. Many viewers begin dropping the drama. Clarification comes later as the story unfolds. Then the pace picks up. The second half proves to be most enjoyable. As the antagonist grows stronger each day and finally becomes a full-blown demon, the whole drama becomes incredibly captivating.

Re-watch? Absolutely. There are so many things I believe I have missed on my first watch. Re-watching can help me catch the nuances, hence provide even better appreciation of the overall story.

For me, this drama is much more enjoyable than “Love and Redemption” (sorry LAR fans) as it captures the human emotions more realistically. For viewers who dropped this drama prematurely, do come back and complete it. You won’t regret it.

In “xian xia” stories, there is always a life 2.0. One can correct a mistake and make everything as according to one’s wishes again in the next life. But in our mortal world, regrets cannot be undone, deaths cannot be revived or life cannot reborn. It is therefore imperative that we treasure what we have while we’re still alive.

Great watch! Must watch! Bravo!

TWO THUMBS UP!

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Love transcends deaths

There have been a lot of superlatives being used to describe this drama : amazing, perfect, awesome! There are also some critics who constantly find faults with this drama just because of certain actor or actress. Personally for me, this drama is the epitome of a xianxia done well. If you are able to watch it with an open heart, unbiased and uncluttered with prejudiced opinions from others who may not have completed the drama, you will be in for a pleasant surprise. If you are a lover of xianxia genre, you should not miss this drama.

Ancient love poetry brings a new concept where there is a separation between the God realm and immortals realm, the former being the more powerful and higher in ranking than the Immortal realm. The third realm, the demon realm is depicted as able to cohabit peacefully with the Gods and Immortals. I find these three realms living peacefully a refreshing change from the normal heavenly gods battle with the demons. This lasted in the first arch of the story. There are altogether three arches in the story which brings a roller coaster ride of emotions. And yes this a love story that stands the tribulation of times and deaths (yes, multiple deaths). The story is fresh, with plots that make sense. It keeps you guessing, while dropping hints and nuances along the way. I find myself rooting for all the characters in the drama, (well, except the villain). I should say that the actress playing the villain is excellent. Zhou Dong Yu and Xu Kai gave one of the best performance, with their facial expressions exuding their character’s inner feelings. This is my first time watching ZDY and I have high respect for her after watching ALP. The supporting cast, in particular Liu Xue Yi is convincing as one of their best friend ever. Even the child actor who appears at the last arch of the story is very talented. The relationships in this drama are varied: we have the lovers relationship, father-daughter relationship, father-son relationship and friends relationship. Each of these are very endearing. There are moments that make you squeal in delight and there are moments that make you bawl your eyes out. My trash can was full of tissue papers during the last three episodes. CGI and action sequence are top notch, realistic and done in perfect taste.

This was even better than L&R or AOL for me. Watch it and let love permeates your soul.

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On-Par with Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms

"If you're not watching this, then you're missing out"
I thought I was gonna hate this but I decided to give it a try today and it's life changing, as person that drop cliche series quickly. This drama is really good, instead of leaving the viewers with questions; it didn't leave any expenses and started from narrating the old God Realm up to the newest one, true to its title "poetry" the scenes were beautiful. I cried and laugh but don't worry y'all its not tragedy. Basically this drama did what most of the dramas out there is missing, a stable story line with proper execution of narrating the events properly. I had to sign up just to review because people should watch this hidden gem. I've watched a lot of dramas and this is definitely on the top.

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A beautiful Xianxia that is worth watching! [Haven't seen one this captivating in a long time now]!

The last time I rated a drama 10/10 was Ten Miles Peach Blossom, this is the second drama that I fell in love with that wants to give full rating to, but sadly after watching the ending, I have mark it down and give the story 9/10 instead, but I will mark the overall 9.5/10 because I am still in love with this series in the overall, just can't give it 10/10 - Story becomes 9/10 because the ending is what sums up the entire story to me, my feeling of the ending? Well, I will tell you at the end of this review... Omg.

Ok, I admit that I am one of those people who thinks Zhou Dong Yu is average looking, and I wasn't quite used to her when I first started, because I wanted a prettier actress, BUT don't let that put you off from watching this drama, because beauty is not determined through the physical look right? her acting really convinced me that she was made for this role, and I am glad that I gave this drama a chance and stuck to it, because it became one of my favourites! I love seeing the process of Shang Gu's character development from the beginning to the end, I love how she comes to take her responsibilities as a Chief God seriously, because you see that growth in her, although the destiny of a Chief God, is just too cruel IMO T_T. But these types of angst is needed for these types of dramas. IMO, Zhou Dong Yu played her character well, where in the emotional department she was excellent, and this brings me to....

Xu Kai, this was the first drama I watched him in, and then while this drama was airing, I found out that he also acted in 'The Legends', so I also jumped to watching 'The Legends' on my end at the same time, to save myself the agony from waiting for the episodes to be uploaded. While I love Xu Kai's character in The Legends, I personally love his character more as Bai Jue, because with each role he was given, he really played his part well. I can see the love he has for Shang Gu/Hou Chi, and I can FEEL the love he has for her, that he will go through great (sacrificial) lengths to be willing to do all this for her. His love for her really touched me, he is referred to 'Ice Cube', despite his original being/element is fire hahaha, but this whole 'Ice Cube' is referencing to his personality being cold, where he keeps everyone at a distance, and is more of a loner type, so his personality really connects with Shang Gu's personality, which shows they have great chemistry, because they complements each other, and you can see that Shang Gu, really thawed the ice/barrier Bai Jue have set up on his end, which is very nice to see. And I understood why Bai Jue did all that, so for me, I can never hate Bai Jue, I love him, and he really have suffered so much, but to me, these are great sacrificial love, I just felt like giving him a hug at the end because he deserves it.

To me, what is sad about this is, this fandom (as like many other fandoms) tends to see things on the Female perspectives, and doesn't understand the pain/great love the Male (in this case, Bai Jue) have for Shang Gu, so for me, I decided to do up a thread in here, to shed some light to his perspective: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/the-legend-of-gu-and-jue/63779-to-shed-some-light-in-bai-jue-s-drama-perspective
^If you're interested, you can check it out

Qing Mu is a very loveable character to me, and I will always have a soft spot for him, but to me, I don't separate him from Bai Jue, since he is still Bai Jue to me. Qing Mu condition is the same as Hou Chi if you look at it, because Qing Mu is Bai Jue, and Hou Chi is Shang Gu, just without their memories of their past. Their love is an extension to Bai Jue and Shang Gu, just like what Gu Jun said in episode 33 "Your love with Hou Chi kind of makes up for their regret", because the short time they had as Qing Mu and Hou Chi is an extension to the love Bai Jue and Shang Gu want to have with each other, but they never got the chance to due to the tragedy that happen. If it didn't happen, and if they weren't tied to their responsibilities back then, they would have been able to get that kind of love. Remember how Shang Gu said, when she spent that one day with Bai Jue (before she sacrificed herself), Shang Gu asked Bai Jue why he is so sweet to her(the last day they both shared with each other), and Bai Jue said that it's not impossible, showing that if they have time, without the tragedy happening, Bai Jue can show that kind of love to Shang Gu back then. So, this is why when Bai Jue returns with complete memories, despite he is breaking off these emotional connection to those he cared about, he still cherish the time he (as Qing Mu) have with Hou Chi and why when Hou Chi asked him to divorce her, it hurted him so much and he was reluctant at first, but in the end, it just have to be, because he's determined to go through with his plan. In addition to this, Bai Jue have already shown me he can be sweet when it comes to his love for Shang Gu, so for me, I don't separate Qing Mu and Hou Chi from Bai Jue and Shang Gu. To, me they are the same, just under different identity when they love each other as Qing Mu and Hou Chi. As Bai Jue and Shang Gu, their love is not inferior to their love as Qing Mu and Hou Chi in my opinion, because, they've been through a lot to be together, and to see the sacrifice and pain Bai Jue did all that, it made me love them even more, because their love provided me the angst, and a sense of touching love story, which I love.

The side characters are also loveable, and I noticed that there's two side actors in this one that also starred in Falling into your Smile lol (I think I am getting good at recognizing familiar faces XD), and the second side couple is nice between Feng Ran and Jing Jian.

And Zhi Yang >>>>>>>> Mu Guang for me, I don't like Mu Guang on my end. So this is why between the God Realm and Heaven Realm, I much prefer the God Realm back then when Zhi Yang was in charge. I don't like what the heaven realm has become 60,000 years later.

What makes this story interesting and captivating is it starts of with the back story for the 'building you into the story' department, you get to see what the characters was like 60,000 years ago, and as you are watching it, it's like a journey you are also experiencing with these characters, so it's captivating in that sense. You see how the characters grow, change, take up their responsibilities, and I do love the female lead (Shang Gu) in this one, sure she may have started off slacking off, and does nothing but just lazed off, and play and don't take her role as the Chief God seriously, but that all changed for her when she became a disciple to Bai Jue, and I personally find it endearing how she calls him 'Shizun', it's much better than 'Shifu' lol. I have to admit that I am starting to have a thing for Shizun x Disciple relationship XDDD. I mean, well, that's not the main part, the main part is, the story itself have depth and is engaging me in every part of it, not just the romance department, but I also love the bromance too, I love the trio, Bai Jue, Tian Qi and Zhi Yang, they are like close friends, Xiong-Di, so I love seeing them, and LOL, Zhi Yang sure paid the price for lying to Bai Jue saying that Shang Gu is hardworking, submissive, smart and never makes trouble, but turned out it was biggest lie, because he wants Bai Jue to teach her so she can take up her responsibility as a Chief God seriously XDD.

Music: I actually love the OST's in this one, some are very memorable, and my very favourite is "Gǎnyìng" (感应) by Liu Yuning, that song always reminds me of Bai Jue/Qing Mu and Shang Gu/Hou Chi moments, so touching (T^T), and don't even get me started with the lyrics *sniffs* (T^T). And I have Tencent to blame for uploading this beautiful MV lol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok9DTHDLYw8

Another one I really like is: "Perseverance" (执生念) by Ye Xuanqing also made me cry each time I listened to it, when I listened to that song, it reminded me to all the sacrificed Bai Jue have done for Shang Gu/Hou Chi. And it shows the strong/deep love they have for each other. They both will wait for each other forever.

And another one: "Years" (年岁) by Máo Bùyì (毛不易), for these three music, they are on my replay list on my phone where I will listen to this on repeat.

Ending: I will wait until I watch that scene in full to judge that ending. I already knew it's a happy ending before I saw that clip on twitter/Weibo, but how that happy ending played out is determined if they will give us something more than that scene, because I want a more fulfilling/happy ending to show their family life, and interactions before the credit rolls, so I am keeping an open mind for now before I watch the ending. So I will come back and edit this review when I have seen the ending. To be honest, I really hope it is a fulfilling ending, since they really have been through so much to be together in the end, I wanted to see some extended scenes to it to make up for all the heart-ache and pain they've been through. Honestly, Sometimes I wish that I don’t have such high expectations for an ending because it really does hurt when it doesn’t deliver(┬┬﹏┬┬). But it remains a fact that I will always love this drama on my end, why I wanted an extended ending because Bai Jue and Shang Gu deserves an extended happy ending after all they’ve been through, instead of ending at that scene. But I will always love ALP on my end, and yes, I am also not ready to depart from this/their story (┬┬﹏┬┬).

EDIT - As I said, I will come back to rate the ending after I watched it, note, I even woke up at 4am due to the time difference, because I couldn't sleep to watch the remaining 3 episodes 47-49. You can bet I was left with so many feelings in the end (┬┬﹏┬┬).

What I like:
- The battle against Wu Huan, how Bai Jue and Tian Qi to help Shang Gu fight against her, and I am so glad to see that Bai Jue actually faked his "death" to have Wu Huan put her guard down, that's my loveable Bai Jue for you!!! And the part when Bai Jue went to Tian Qi to revived him, was really nice, I really love their bromance moments <3 And that sad look Tian Qi gave Bai Jue when Bai Jue told him that, after Wu Huan is gone, he can finally go in peace/without worries. I love this subtle moment, to see how Tian Qi also cared for Bai Jue on his end <3

- Thank you! For giving me the Father-Son moment between Bai Jue and Yuan Qi, because I really did cried. How it started off that Yuan Qi didn't want to even see Bai Jue, really hurted him (┬┬﹏┬┬), and then later they had that talk, and then when Bai Jue took Yuan Qi to the human realm, this time, as his real self, and not disguised as Feng Ran, those were all sweet moments that I wanted to see before the finale, and you can also see that Yuan Qi probably guessed that it was actually his father (Bai Jue) who took him to play a day in the human realm as "Feng Ran" back then. The part when Bai Jue lets Yuan Qi win the game, was sweet <3 And at the end, before they said good bye, how Bai Jue hoped to hear Yuan Qi to call him "Father" at least once, before he goes, was so sad omg (┬┬﹏┬┬) At first when Yuan Qi showed that he can't say it, and while Bai Jue was sad about it, but he didn't force him to call him father, and when he leaving, and then Yuan Qi called him "Father", I literally shed tears in that scene (┬┬﹏┬┬)(┬┬﹏┬┬), he didn't call him "Father" once but several times!!!

- Hong Ri came back!!! And I'm glad to have him back!!!

- It is implied Gu Jun will come back later as well, because Bai Jue saved a piece of his spiritual/soul, so he will come back later, although this is left off-screen.

- Jing Jian is reborn so he's also back, however without his memories, so that's a bit of a shame.

- Glad to see Zhi Yang is back, although I somehow have mix feelings about it, since the part when he's drunk at first, and Tian Qi is like looking through the documents, I am like, did they switch roles? LOL

- I don't like Jin Yang, but in the end, he somewhat redeemed himself for me, for what he said to his mother (Wu Huan). Like it needed to be said. I like how he said that he doesn't want the throne, he only wants to be his father(Mu Guang) son, and Jing Jian's brother. And he even told Wu Huan, that he doesn't want to be her son(because of all the things she did that killed the family) Wu Huan didn't even regret, not even in the end, so I felt like what Jin Yang said is a slap to her face!

What I don't like about the ending:
- I can't believe that bitch Wu Huan didn't die... I wanted her dead so much, but her suffering eternally like that is better than nothing, death would be too easy for her. I wish Jing Zhao's punishment was heavier, in the end, she was just mute, but seeing her suffering to see her mother like that, I guess is her punishment, and she can't even say any words to her anymore. I hated Jing Zhao so much because she even have the audacity to curse Shang Gu like that, what the f*ck!

- Mu Guang, I don't care if you sacrifice yourself for the peace in the end, but what you did, even at the end, how you begged Shang Gu to not kill Wu Huan, I was literally face palm at that scene.... Seriously, after all this you can forgive her?! Shang Gu even in her way scolded him, about how and what he's doing now have disappointed Yuemi and how well she treated him back then.

- Now, what I don't like is after all the hardships, heart-breaks that Bai Jue and Shang Gu went through, they have it end in THAT SCENE?! (┬┬﹏┬┬). I just can't really accept it... I mean, it is a happy ending, and I am thankful that that is a bit better than the novel, where they got a hug and Bai Jue smiled at her, not to mention Bai Jue deserves a hug at the end of all this but honestly, all I wanted was an EXTENDED scene after that part where they have their talk, and not just hugging each other. Ok, that is at least better than nothing, but still.... I wanted to see Tian Qi and Zhi Yang also say something to Bai Jue like welcoming him back. But at least the part where Bai Jue said "Shang Gu, I am Bai Jue" is heaps better than in the novel, because in the novel, Bai Jue didn't smiled at her in that scene in the novel (not that I recall), then Shang Gu, in the novel, expresses her happiness, no hug, nothing, but just words to describe that in that moment, it is just perfect and, I am like "?????" in the novel, a feeling of unsatisfied, and lead me to question, that the novel ending, so does Bai Jue have his memories after he came back??? This is why in the Drama ending, it creates no confusion, Bai Jue is back, and with complete memories, because he smiled and said to her "Shang Gu, I am Bai Jue", and they got that hug, so it's a bit better than the novel, but this is not what I wanted to see, because I wanted something more. They separated for so long and we only got like 2 minutes (at most) for their reunion.... (┬┬﹏┬┬) You can't be serious right? I mean, thanks for giving me a happy ending, but I already knew it is a happy ending, still I cannot accept that THIS is how it ended!!! I was hoping to see more of a closure, of them talking, them having their sweet times, their bliss before it ended, but this kind of ending... While it is a happy ending but I am still somewhat disappointed... (┬┬﹏┬┬)

I guess hoping for a TMOPB ending is a bit too much to ask for...... (┬┬﹏┬┬)

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A Love that Shaped Destiny: The Infinite Devotion of an Unyielding Heart

........
The Overview of Plot and World building:

Ancestral God created and divided the universe into three realms... God Realm, Immortal/Heavenly Realm and Demon Realm, where God Realm is supreme. There is also Nether World where devils are imprisoned...

There are countless gods and immortals but only four are True Gods who commands the God Realm and are responsible for management and safety of Three Realms... Zhi Yang, Bai Jue, Tian Qi and Shang Gu. They all are born from the same origin but Shang Gu is "Supreme True God" who possess the Power of Chaos and the only girl and youngest one among them, just 10,000 years old. Zhi Yang, Bai Jue and Tian Qi grew up together and have very strong bonding.

• The hierarchy of God Realm:
1. Supreme True God/Chief God of Chaos
2. Three True Gods
3. High Gods
4. Lower Gods
5. Disciple from Immortal/Demon Realm

• The hierarchy of Immortal Realm:
1. Heavenly Emperor and Empress and High Gods
2. Demi Gods
3. Senior Immortals
4. Junior Immortals
5. Other Immortals

• The hierarchy of Demon Realm:
1. Demon God
2. Demon Emperor
3. Demi Gods
4. White Tiger Clan
5. Fox Clan
6. Other Demon Clans

The drama follows the story of Shang Gu and Bai Jue and show how their deep love and relationship developed and progressed while bearing the responsibility of safety of three realms and dealing with countless hardships.

..........
Introduction to Key Characters:

Bai Jue/Bo Xuan/Qing Mu (Xu Kai): Bai Jue, a True God and the God of War... The origin of his powers is Immortal and Fire, so he is also God of Fire. Has a stoic, distant and cold personality... No one can match upto his wisdom and patience...and his determination and dedication towards responsibilities and love is unmatched. Bai Jue grew up cultivating hard with Zhi Yang and Tian Qi and fighting devils to protect the Three Realms. Tian Qi nicknamed him as "Ice Cube" because of his cold demeanour... Despite him being distant, he was still admired and pursued by many goddesses in God Realm.
Weapon - Tai Cang Spear
Divine Beast - Hong Ri (Fire Qilin)
Residence - Abyss Hall and Daze Mountain

When God Realm closed due to Tribulations of Chaos, Bai Jue adopted the identity of Bo Xuan and lived in the Qing Chi Palace in the Immortal Realm for almost 60000 years, hiding his True God identity and isolating himself from all others, only Gu Jun knew his true self.

Qing Mu, a aloof and reserved young immortal from North Sea of Immortal realm, whose origin is unknown and he don't like to socialize. He got fame for his powerful cultivation despite his young age of only 1,000 years, and titled as "Lord of North Sea". He looks like Bai Jue who has disappeared years ago.
.....

Shang Gu/Hou Chi (Zhou Dong Yu): Shang Gu, the Chief God of Chaos, a mischievous and fun-loving young Goddess meant to be the Supreme True God. She was raised and spoiled by Zhi Yang, Tian Qi and Yue Mi. Despite having Chaos Origin, her cultivation and powers were weak so she was being bullied by others.. Bai Jue was tricked by Zhi Yang to being her teacher. Because of her undisciplined and arrogant personality, she despised strict and disciplined Bai Jue from their very first interaction.
Weapon - Ancient Sword
Divine Beast - Wu Huan (Five-colored Pheonix)
Residence - Pilgrimage Hall

Hou Chi, the born High God and daughter of Gu Jun. She has aloof and cold demeanour but a warm heart. Raised in Qing Chi Palace in care of Bo Xuan and Feng Ran. Her Godly powers are weak and she shows less to no improvement in cultivation, even after diligently practicing for 60,000 years. She looks like Shang Gu who died in Tribulations of Chaos.
......

Tian Qi/Jing Yuan (Liu Xue Yi): Tian Qi, a True God, his power origin is Demonic and Water, so he is also Demon God and the God of Water. A carefree, mischievous and fun-loving God but a little impulsive and sometimes narcissist.. haha! He and Shang Gu have similar personalities... He manages Demon Realm... Tian Qi values relationships and friendships more than anything else...and likes to arguing with Bai Jue, but in a good-natured way. He loved Shang Gu and would do anything for her, even destroy the three realms he had been protecting his entire lifetime.
Weapon - Purple Moon Whip
Divine Beast - Zi Han (Dragon)
Residence - Everlasting Hall

Jing Yuan, the Demon Lord Zi Yue, is actually another identity/reincarnation of Tian Qi after the Tribulations of Chaos. He lived in Demon Realm in seclusion and apart from Zi Han, only Demon Emperor knew who he is in real.
......

Zhi Yang (Li Ze Feng): The calm and rational True God... He is incharge of the affairs of the Three realms...and the oldest one in all True Gods...
Weapon - Twin Spear
......

Wu Huan (Zhang Jia Ni): The low-ranked pheonix from Wutong Island, whom Shang Gu picked up as her divine Beast instead of "the Only Fire Pheonix and Pheonix Queen" Feng Yan... She used to be kind, humble and calm before but later on became an arrogant, cunning, heartless and thirsty for power.... She is one of the three Ancient High Gods of Immortal Realm and the Heavenly Empress...
......

Gu Jun (Leon Lai): A Flood Dragon from Demon Realm.. and the only disciple of Shang Gu... He is a loyal and wise person... Gu Jun is one of the three Ancient High Gods in Immortal Realm who survived the Tribulations of Chaos... He is the master of Qing Chi Palace and former lover of Wu Huan...
......

Yue Mi (Luo Qiu Yun): The Goddess of Stars and Moon in God Realm and best friend of Shang Gu... She is wise and powerful but fun-loving Goddess and very close to all the True Gods... She was in love with Tian Qi but her feelings were not yet reciprocated...
......

Feng Ran (Zhang Ya Qin): The only alive Fire Pheonix and daughter of Feng Yan... A straight-forward and cleaver girl... She is the best friend and protector of Hou Chi..and attendant of Gu Jun (whom he saved from Yunlin Swamp)... She is way powerful than Hou Chi and in-charge of Qing Chi Palace in the absence of Gu Jun.

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Acting and Chemistry:

Xu Kai and Liu Xue Yi's portrayal of their characters is breathtaking...

Xu Kai was great as Bai Jue and Qing Mu although I don't like Bo Xuan's part much but it was good as well. As Bai Jue, he acted well as a cold and distant God who treats everyone fairly but can silently sacrifice his all for his love, and as Qing Mu, he did amazing as a aloof Immortal who knows to pursue his love without concerning the world... Xu Kai made the two characters really different with his acting skills that you won't feel these both characters played by one single person. He made Bai Jue my favourite character...

Liu Xue Yi impressed me with his remarkable performance. Tian Qi is my favourite just after Bai Jue... and I am so grateful to makers to not turning him in "typical toxic second male lead" who is obsessive... He loved Shang Gu but knew what are the limits and when to give up...

Zhao Dong Yu was amazing as Shang Gu in the first and last arc of the story but I feel her acting plain as Hou Chi.

Zhang Jia Ni did an extraordinary job with her character.. she truly made me hate Wu Huan from the bottom of my heart that I wanted to slap her everytime.

The chemistry between leads can be considered decent and above average... I loved the chemistry between Feng Ran and Jing Jian.. it was just wonderful.
The relationship dynamics between Bai Jue and Tian Qi are very interesting and fun to watch...
Other actors also did beautiful job with their characters and are worthy to be praised...

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OSTs, Costumes and CGI:

OSTs are pleasant and extraordinary.. these have secured the top place in my playlist. The lyrics fit the story and scenes perfectly and make me cry every time I listen to them... "A Thousand Years of Search" and "The Thought of Life" are my favourite.

"I am willing to search for thousands of days and nights; Waiting for time to meet again in your eyes..
Exchange a lifetime for a second of encounter; It would not be a pity if it can be accomplished.."
~A Thousand Years of Search

Costume are really beautiful and gives a aura of grace and divinity.
CGI is top-notch. The magic spells, the power from the divine weapon, the sets, all look real, natural and beautiful.

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Conclusion:

Ancient Love Poetry signifies the patience, dedication and loyalty in love without compromising the duties and responsibilities one has to fulfill.
The wait of sixty thousand years and dedication of Bai Jue for his love Shang Gu along with his devotion for duties towards the three realms are exceptional and heart-touching. I'm actually very tough to cry while watching a drama.. but this made my tears rolled over my cheeks, even after rewatching it many times I still feel the same heartbreak every time.

"She turned to ashes,
separated by life and death;
He protected the three realms for her..
The thought of life is still ringing in my ears;
Once again, this passion has no limits and will never be extinguished"
~The Thought of Life

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Ending:

I was thinking it would be a drama with a sad ending, but the ending touches my heart. It was a beautiful happy ending that I never expected.

To be honest, it might feel a bit boring to many in starting and one could feel like dropping it.. but I recommend to must watch at least 8 to 12 episodes before you make the decision to drop, otherwise you'll miss a fabulous drama.
I would recommend everyone to give it a shot.

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